1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to crop harvesting equipment and, more particularly, to pull-type mowers or mower/conditioners having a pulling tongue which is hydraulically swingable from side-to-side so that the lateral position of the machine relative to the towing tractor can be adjusted on-the-go from the tractor seat. More particularly, the present invention involves a swing tongue harvester of the aforementioned type wherein provision is made for driving the operating components of the harvesting header, such as the crop severing mechanism and the conditioner rolls, through mechanical structures coupled with the power takeoff shaft of the towing vehicle, rather than through a hydraulic drive system.
2. Background of the Invention
Swing-tongue harvesters have become extremely popular over the years due in part to their ability to be quickly and easily maneuvered from the tractor seat around obstacles, through right angle turns, and otherwise operated in a manner previously reserved only for self-propelled vehicles. In the case of swing-tongue harvesters in which the tongue is pivoted about the frame, the machine is capable of being used to be positioned in an operative position behind a towing tractor to one side of the tractor when the mower is being used to cut a crop and a transport position wherein the machine is behind the towing tractor for transporting the machine from place to place. However, having a pulling tongue which is shifted between relatively sharp angular positions creates problems in the delivery of driving power from the tractor to operating components of the machine.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide solutions for the aforementioned problems.